Star Trek, origional series

TNG

Voyager

Enterprise

Animated series

I grew up on 'Classic' Trek as it's called. Show was innovative for it's time, combining sci-fi with often humanitarian themes. But looking back, it was rather campy. And too many episodes revolved around Kirk, Spock and McCoy. Star Trek TNG was more polished, and had the distinction of very often giving each cast member his/her day. Deep Space Nine was too limited in revolving around one vehicle, in spite of the whole Gem H'Dar line. Voyager was an improvement, especially with the introduction of Seven Of Nine (in her costume, I'd call her 37 of 23 of 36 ). Enterprize was a series I just couldn't get into. And the Animated series was just too plastic in it's animation.

I haven't seen TOG or Voyager at all, though they're all on my Netflix list. But my favorite would be TNG, followed by Enterprise and then DS9. Each one takes me a while to get into, but I always end up loving them.

I made fun of TNG when it first started, but I got slowly sucked in and it became one of my favorite shows of all time. They have nightly marathons on BBC America lately!

I've never seen Enterpise. I don't think it was shown in my area, or else it was at a weird time. Save for a few episodes, I couldn't get into drama and political intrigue of DS9. I loved Voyager, but I probably missed half the series. I really need to see the whole series again!

Does anyone else think of the Cardassians whenever you see or hear anything about the Kardashians?

I picked Voyageur though it was a close call between that and the original. TNG was just to sanitized for my liking and too much about. I liked the return to the pioneering spirit in Voyageur - out there on their own with no help from the mighty Federation, lots of action. TNG was run by committee in comparison. Also I liked how they brought it full circle and finished it off. (Actually they kind of did that 2 other times but "changed" their fate by remedying something they had done.)

DS9 was wayyyyyy too mystical-religion-based for me. The Enterprise series was interesting but never became must-see tv for me and is hard to watch in re-runs due to the attack on earth and the subsequent story line that made single episodes incomplete and somewhat pointless if not seen in strict order - sort of what it might be like seeing a month of soap opera in random order. Too bad because I really liked this cast of characters and the actors - never became all that it could be afaiac.

I had to vote for TNG, it's so great, but would tie it with the original if I could, because...it was the original and I loved it! But TNG was awesome and so much less cheesy and had Jean Luc Picard and Data.

I think most people will pick the TNG because it what most people actually grew up with and was most likely the most successful of the series. However, I find it so wooden and stilted. I love the Original Series because they had personality.

If I was on a starship, I rather have Kirk as my captain because at least it'll look like we're having some fun.

I was just marveling at an episode of TNG last night, "The Drumhead". One of those rare bottle shows (meaning everything took place on the ship and no "new words and new civilizations" were featured) that was simply brilliant. They had a slow start no doubt, but as an avid fan of the original that sniffed at the idea of TNG when it first came out, they grabbed me by Season 3 and surpassed the original IMO.

I remember the season cliffhanger for "Best of Both Worlds" when Riker gave the order to fire on Picard/Locutus - right before the "To be continued" came on. I remember yelling, "NOOOOOOO!!!!" That summer waiting for the next season to start in the Fall was my version of "Who shot J.R.?".

I was such a fan of the original show that I refused to watch TNG for the first 5 years. Then my sister got me into it (she had taped them all), and during one summer I caught up on 5 seasons of the show. (I guess that's a cheat; I only had to endure Season 6's cliffhanger. LOL)

Here's something that will kick over some sacred cows: I know Roddenberry was brilliant in his concept of the shows, but I have to say that the more he let go of having a hand with TNG, the better it got. The first season or two were for the most part very campy (like the original show), with several notable episodes as the exception.

But then the series really took off in my opinion. The writers were amazing; they had a way of making us believe that this stuff was real and could really happen. "Yesterday's Enterprise" (the one where they encountered the Enterprise-D) was a brilliant example of this.

I rarely post, but this thread pulls me out of my lurkerdom Let me add my vote to TNG as my favorite. It's a show that I can watch over and over and it never seems to get old. My sis and I watched it as kids and we get a whole different perspective out of it when we watch it again as adults.

I remember thinking the original series was so dated, and I feel a little sad that people 10-ish years younger than me probably feel the same way about TNG. They don't know what they're missing!

Original series all the way - especially since I watched it when it first came out. Amazing it made it beyond a few episodes considering what they would have us believe
- a black woman who is smart and sassy and beautiful and considered just as good as the men, and better than them in some instances
- a Russian getting along with a "boy from Oklahoma" AKA Kirk -- all in the days of the cold war
- a Japanese man who was a great pilot and wielded a sword. Whew!
- some "alien" with pointed ears, green blood, who follows logic and masters his emotions (usually) yet banters with the best of them and has some wierd stuff he can do (mind meld, Vulcan neck pinch), extremely strong compared to the humans with whom he served
- other aliens -- Klingons, other Vulcans, Romulans, Andorians, those green-skinned women who make men go crazy with lust (and I can't remember what they are called)
- trying to make contact with unknown peoples and trying to do it peacefully but willing to fight if needed
- man vs. computers -- and man wins!!!
- first kiss between people of different "colour" -- Kirk and Uhura
- use of little people in a couple of episodes and making their part in the show one with some dignity
- no $$$ had to change hands to get anything -- usually.
- transporters and food replicators -- no cooking or cleaning (yipee).

Yep, I really liked what took place in those three short years. Don't get me wrong, I liked TNG and all the others but without the original I don't know if the others would have done so well.

Here's something that will kick over some sacred cows: I know Roddenberry was brilliant in his concept of the shows, but I have to say that the more he let go of having a hand with TNG, the better it got. The first season or two were for the most part very campy (like the original show), with several notable episodes as the exception.

Click to expand...

I believe Rodenberry died while TNG was still going strong. Did he turn over control before his death? I also believe that his wife, who appeared in many episodes as Deanna Troi's mother and who was also the voice of the computer, had quite a bit of "behind the scenes" involvement in the franchise.

I remember the season cliffhanger for "Best of Both Worlds" when Riker gave the order to fire on Picard/Locutus - right before the "To be continued" came on. I remember yelling, "NOOOOOOO!!!!" That summer waiting for the next season to start in the Fall was my version of "Who shot J.R.?".

Click to expand...

Oh, me too!! The other moment like that for me was when they introduced Sela the Romulan as Tasha Yar's daughter. I always loved Tasha's character and I wish Denise Crosby had hung in there in the show longer.

TNG, followed by DS9. I've seen every single episode of TNG at least 5-10 times or more.

Click to expand...

You and my husband! I think he wants to BE Picard. He watches them year by year in order, and when he finishes the whole thing, he starts over. I love TNG too, so I'm just glad he has something interesting to keep him busy.....

BTW-I heartily endorse William Shatner's recently published autobiography. I forget the title, but it's easily googleable. It's in paperback now. What a fascinating life! And, Kirk just IS Shatner. Huge ego but totally charming. It was fascinating to read about Gene Rodenberry and what a d***head he was. He was absolutely awful to the actors! Shatner also had a pretty interesting acting career-a very serious "artsy" one - long before he became Kirk. It's a fun read.

Interesting about Shatner's autobiography.... I'll have to check it out.

I voted for TNG but I loved TOS and also DS9. Watched Voyager and Enterprise. Voyager always annoyed me because it seemed like they were insecure having written a female captain into the show and so they had to make her more of an expert than her own experts. Still, some of the episodes with the Borg were great. And I loved the episode where the holographic doctor programmed his own holographic family and then experienced tragedy with them. Great stuff.

TNG was so great after about the first season. Loved Yesterday's Enterprise and the way they followed the ramifications of those events forward in the series. Loved the episode Darmok, where Picard and an alien captain face danger together and develop some shared metaphors so they could communicate. Loved loved loved Inner Light where Picard lived a whole other life under the influence of an alien probe. And yes, for the first part conclusion of The Best of Both Worlds, everyone who was at my house for a season finale party screamed at the TV all together. I still remember the horror of Picard/Locutus telling Riker that resistance was futile.

DS9 really grew on me and I enjoyed the story threads that dealt with the parallel universe that was first introduced in Mirror, Mirror. That is great concept continuity, from one series to another over, what, 30 years? It was great stuff.

Enterprise, I thought had so much potential that was never fulfilled. I remember a TV guide article describing the crew as having their hand on their hearts and their hearts in their throats and that sort of captured the wild eyed nature of it at the beginning. Loved the original theme song and skated to it in my very first competition.

And once, years ago at a Universal Studios tour in California, I got to play an engineer in the Star Trek Adventure. Coolest. thing. ever. I still have the video. A friend of mine got to play a Klingon crew member and he got to get shot by a phaser! It was great. I also went to the second Star Trek Con ever held, in NYC, in, IIRC, 1975. Sigh, those were the days!

toss-up between TNG and DS9. Early TNG was really, really bad. . . both series tended to be too preachy, but still were fairly entertaining. Never really got into Voyager or Enterprise. Whenever we have the Kirk vs. Picard smackdown conversation, hubby comes down on the side of Kirk (what? that fat egotistical idiot who can't act?) and I am all for Picard (who can and does do Shakespeare and other theater very well and looks good bald!).

Whenever we have the Kirk vs. Picard smackdown conversation, hubby comes down on the side of Kirk (what? that fat egotistical idiot who can't act?) and I am all for Picard (who can and does do Shakespeare and other theater very well and looks good bald!).

Click to expand...

Shatner was also a Shakespearean actor. Never saw him act in any though. I actually think he's good at what he does, and he has awards for his acting in the past so somebody must think he can act.

I believe Rodenberry died while TNG was still going strong. Did he turn over control before his death? I also believe that his wife, who appeared in many episodes as Deanna Troi's mother and who was also the voice of the computer, had quite a bit of "behind the scenes" involvement in the franchise.

Click to expand...

I could be wrong, but I thought Roddenberry let go of control after 2 seasons and died during the 3rd season? I'd have to look it up. I just think that there was a distinct difference in the series especially after season 2, and it got significantly better.

1. Voyager: I grew up with this series and despite its flaws find it the most consistently entertaining. Plus like others said I like how they're completely on their own.
2. TNG: I had a serious gay boy crush on Troi growing up (okay, I still do). My all time favorite episodes are from TNG but there are too many ridiculous/yawn episodes.
3. Original series.
4. DS9: I could never get into it. Someday when I'm bored I'll try to start again with season one but I've tried before and never made it past the first few episodes.
5. Animated series: Say what?